writer, editor, & animal lover

My Writing Process / Part of a Blog Tour

Hello! I’ve been tagged for a blog tour spotlighting the writing process. This is how it works: I acknowledge who asked me, answer four questions, then tag three authors to answer the questions and continue the tour on March 24. I only found one author friend who was interested in participating (thanks, E!).

The Questions

1. What am I working on?

I’m writing a young adult novel that I’ve been wanting to write for awhile called JASE’S SCAR about how one brother’s death affects the other. I wrote a new play, TRUST & FAITH, about a fictional pray-the-gay-away organization. And I’m always writing pitches and personal essays to query magazine editors.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

In regards to JASE’S SCAR, I’ve read a lot of YA. I’ve read a lot about someone dying in YA. For me, it’s about writing this story in a way that feels exciting to me.

3. Why do I write what I do?

As a kid, I was hooked on The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. I wrote in my eighth grade yearbook that I wanted to be the editor-in-chief of People magazine. And I wrote my first play in high school, won an award for it, and got to see a reading of it in NYC. I am fortunate enough to pursue my childhood passions as an adult.

4. How does your writing process work?

I keep a notebook to jot down ideas and write out entire stories. If a story intrigues me enough to want to learn more about it, I’ll investigate then figure out if it’s a magazine, YA, or play idea. If the idea is best for a book or a play, I hammer out an outline and write out character histories. It really helps me to know my world before I dive into a draft. If the idea is for a magazine article, I’ll write a good pitch and hopefully sell it. For me, I start a first draft knowing that I’ll have to rewrite it again. Above all, I try to have fun with whatever I’m writing.

Who’s Next?

My dear friend and former boss Elizabeth Castoria is on deck to write about her writing process on March 24.

Elizabeth Castoria is a freelance writer and editor, and the author of How To Be Vegan. She has written for Dogster.com, IDEO.org, Daily Candy, and VegNews, where she was editorial director. In April 2013, she won a Maggie award for Best Signed Editorial for her piece “Dear Esquire.”